Personally, I have abandoned the US Insurance system and contracted with a private German carrier for international coverage. Will they ask those with heart attacks, strokes, cancer, in the family history to pay more also, maybe they should ask those who come up with these senseless ideas to pay more just for being stupid. But that is private health-care, and we're talking about government health care(which I am not sure if I support or not). Jack, for non-smokers and fit people it sounds reasonable. Absolutely! yes. Cigarettes, co-pays and junk food add up, and all these savings could give them (Smokers and Fat People) "healthier food" or that gym membership they want so bad. If you don't like it, do something about it. Sadly in America we have far more unhealthy people than healthy so this will probably be resisted and some groups will get involved and say it's discrimination. The key difference between life insurance for smokers and non-smokers is the likelihood of being accepted and the cost. As we will see, too, the harmful effect of these behaviors are not just medically related. Comparisons are made on the basis of price only and different products may have different features and different levels of coverage. How about smokers and fat people pay for their own health care? That's the last thing they want. Or enjoy cook outs eating hamburgers and hot dogs? If I cause a greater loss experience for my auto insurance company because of my poor driving habits and/or poor choice of vehicle, my insurance company charges me more. This surcharge is also known as tobacco rating, and states may opt out or . This post is nothing more than to anger people and get ratings. Differential premiums determined by health habits is currently prohibited in Australia, as its considered discriminatory. Or addicted to prescription medication? Jeopardy without a thermos of hot tea or a pack of splints, or boaters who cross the Pacific and get tossed overboard, should be charged more as well, including for the helicopters required to haul their sick bodies home. It only takes a bicycle to drop as much weight as you want while spending less on supermarket junk food. Anyone that does any dangerous activities, also. As a reformed smoker it was hard to quit, but I now save a ton of money by not smoking at 10 bucks a pack. People smoke and never get cancer, people who do not smoke and have cancer, over weight people may be due to other medical problems and they already have problems trying to get insurance. Welcome to CCI. Why would anybody else have to pay for my poor choices? Doug. No JackThat`s just wrong!!!! Or. Only if drunks & drug addicts will pay more. If you choose to inhale smoke and you choose to eat fast food and unhealthy crap in vast quantities, then you choose to pay more for healthcare. No. By some sort of body mass formula? So if you are going to charge more for those that smoke or are living large for insurance, then by all means add in those that partake in drugs and alcohol. Healthy, beautiful people have all the advantages in life. So yes they should pay more. Just as your auto loan down payment and interest rate are computed by your credit, income, stability, etc which creates the exposure to the risk of loan default. Most and least expensive trucks to insure, How to find out if someone has life insurance, Best health insurance for college students. Many Online Journal readers feel strongly that smokers should pay higher insurance premiums than their non-smoking co-workers, and some say penalizing smoking shouldn't stop at health insurance. Insurence companies need to put people ahead of massive profits. Besides, if you make obese people a political issue you will lose at the ballot box because most of are obese. But such surcharges are misguided. Guess who has to indirectly pick up that tab. Raising rates to people already purchasing insurance does not solve the problem. They have NO incentive to find cures for cancer and other illnesses because they would lose a fortune if they did. There's my point. Sure they should, as long as drinkers and potheads follow suit. We really need a complete national group single payer medical coverage for all. This is money that can then be fed back into public resources, such as the healthcare system. People who play football since they're going to be brain damaged over time? Raise taxes on cigarettes and have that money go towards healthcare. Voluntary choices are made around individual smoking and eating habits and companies may likewise choose to acknowledge these habits as liabilities. If quitting smoking was easy, everyone would do it, right? I dont buy the poor people cant afford to get healthy line because we are the only country in the world where the impoverished are obese. Though I still occasionally meet someone who smokes, the behavior has mostly retreated from populations of higher socioeconomic status and has burrowed itself and its destruction in low income families. You bet, Jack. Besides they can take the money they save by adopting healthy habits and have more spending money. prehaps they will be more motivated to change their behavior and adopt more healthy habits. There are excellent intentions behind this policy smoking is the number one preventable cause of death and smokers disproportionately incur health care costs due to the debilitating diseases that result from the habit. (As usual, check state and local laws to be sure.) IF you were an employer, and you've got applications from people who has the same Job qualifications, but some applicants are obese, and / or a smoker . Instead, the GOP would send them straight to the great State of Texas and have them serve 30 days in the electric chair (that is, unless you are a millionaire or John Boehner). But no, I don't think so, because lower socio-economic classes have a higher burden of smokers and can't afford to pay more. There is no excuse other than they lack the will to eat less. If you are knowingly putting your health at risk you should be forced to pay more for your insurance. Higher insurance premiums price smokers out of insurance markets. You just have to give a damn. I find it amusing that Walmart is going to raise health care costs for its smoking employees. I don't like the idea of singling groups out. Hey Jack- These people should probably pay more but YOU should pay more attention to the words you use. Obviously they have higher medical costs associated with the ills that come with smoking. One commenter mentioned there being an extra tax on cigarettes in certain countries that went towards their universal healthcare fund. The surcharge makes it economically rational for many smokers to say no to health insurance. The services have been available but no one took advantage. In the past few years, many employers have been trying to get workers to voluntarily improve their health to help bring down soaring insurance costs. Once implemented, the impact of the differential should be monitored to determine if it results in a disparate impact on employees in protected groups such as minorities and specific ethnicities. Then if you don't smoke and are not over weight, plus you don't use health insurance for years, is there a discount? Clearly, more research is needed on the relationship between financial incentives and smoking cessation. As a fat person who hasn't lost a pound since August 5th, there's more to it. Since it would be impossible, and unfair, to have exepmtions for all the possiblities of lifestyle choice or legitimate medical neccessity, charging more for the obese is a tough call. While legal concerns exist, there are compelling reasons to implement a differential for smokers. So eat less, eat better and your premiums will go down. States, however, can set their own rules to reduce or eliminate that surcharge, and 10 so far have chosen to do so. Tobacco use for this purpose is defined as any self-reported tobacco use four or more times a week within the past six months. If we start down this road than the next thing it would be, anyone with a history of cancer or any other known health problems in their genetic background, would have their Health Care canceled or would have to pay some ridiculous price. Of course anyone that eats fast food, or any fried or unhealthy food would need to pay more. Heres how to protect yourself from its side-effects. If the answer is a choice between free behavior modification/education and wasting money on junk food, and they choose to waste money, this will decrease the money for waste, and encourage adopting behavior to save that money. I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University. Rich Barlow. I applaud the fantastic efforts of Michelle Obama in this regard as we strive to make healthier foods and exercise a part of our daily routine for children. Thanks Bush and Obama, before you two we had a Constitution and Bill of Rights. Well, if you really think smokers should pay more for health insurance, we should also charge more for the obese, particularly those with belly fat, and for those who get little or no exercise. I don't have cancer. The reason for the move has come because companies are saying smokers cost them more money in medical costs and so the extra cost is just being passed down. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. Charging a higher premium for established smokers will either at best encourage people to stop smoking immediately in order to access health insurance or at worst deter smokers from signing up for health insurance in the first place. It will make them angry, but it will be more fair. While we endeavour to provide information that is accurate and up to date, we make no warranties or representations about the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of the information, graphics, products or services offered or contained on the website. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, jack. execept for those fat people and smokers. STAY CONNECTED WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS, Wall-Mart charges smokers more than any other company. This is self-inflicted risk that clearly results in higher medical costs. So lets use the corporations who stretch across the states to implement this and maybe we can finally get our overweight problem under control. Would you ride in a car that drives itself? If you start down that road, there's no stopping. For your family? Carol Duh-Leong is a medical student who blogs atProgress Notes. It is a shame that money has to be a motivator to incent someone to become healthy! I believe in following the Doctors instructions to the letter. Children and adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria receive radically different treatments depending on where they live. Good question. Healthy foods cost two to three times as much. Keep track of your milestones. Smokers are more likely to wind up in hospital as a direct result of their smoking habit; in fact, an estimated 19,000 Australians die each year as a result of smoking. In the case of weight gain I'm not so sure that can all be attributed to bad behavior. The ABS found that smoking causes 80% of lung cancer deaths and 20% of overall cancer deaths. Its about personal choices. Sure why not? Let's take smokers. The arguement that it will hurt poor people doesn't hold any water. Then we get into a whole debate over which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which doesn't. The same goes for obesity. So why can't people with bad health habits be considered high risks also. In reality employers are directly helping them save. If those at a higher risk paid more for health cover, it would theoretically reduce the cost for other people. Specifically, they shouldnt have to pay to subsidize the healthcare costs of people who choose to smoke. Instead, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets. They do not live as long and even getting treatment for those conditions is no fun. However, there is a potential snowball effect that could wind up with young, healthy people paying peanuts, and elderly people being hit with huge bills for health cover. It is a shame what american society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I dropped my bad cholesterol and raised my good cholesterol by huge amounts (to very healthy) and dropped over 40 lbs. I would like to start this counter-debate by saying you see more drunk driving deaths than smoker deaths because news reporters report car accidents, not cancer Smoking increases health risks and should be banned in public places. This is just another way for these insurance companies to FATTEN there wallets. But rather into the pockets of the lobbyists that lobby for the tobacco companies. After all they are more likely to have higher health care costs! These effects arent limited to the person sucking on the cigarette, either exposure to second hand smokeis also problematic. Yes. On July 1, according . E) Probably not. For those of us who must struggle in our writing to convey with clarity the complicated ideas we are driven to share, Wills gift for off-the-cuff eloquence was awe-inspiring. Wal-Mart, which insures more than 1 million people, is one such company. And people who drive more than others, people who work 3 jobs, people who don't work enough, people who drink too much, those that don't drink enough. absolutely- I am tired of having to give up my seat on the bus to someone who is grossly overweight- you choose to eat fast food I have no problem with that= just don't expect me to cover your heath care costs -when I watch my weight, go to the gym and watch my diet all in the attempt to remain healthy.-and to keep health care costs under control. Sitting behind a desk as an adult, or behind the computer as a child is our biggest problem. This practice may lead many people to forego health insurance even though they may have to pay a fine under the ACA. Sure, as well as people with over active tyroids, and underactive thyroids, and those with ADHD, and those on high blood pressure medicine, and anyone with a pre-existing condition including acne, as some insurance companies rate it. The authors concluded thatreducing smoking and obesity will not save society health care costs. and people might get healthier. All Rights Reserved. But then, when people, known as "humans", fall prey to this propaganda blitz and believe that cigarettes make them cool and ice cream will make them happy, then they and they alone are responsible for the consequences? However, until we do the same for alcoholics and drug users, it is unconstitutional. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Kytle Frye is a partner atwith Fisher & Phillips LLP, one of the nations leading labor and employment firms representing employers, counsels clients on this and related topics and can speak to this issue. Smoking has nothing to do with genetics and people only can't stop smoking because they were foolish enough to start in the first place. Michelle, the former editorial director, insurance, at QuinStreet, is a writer, editor and expert on car insurance and personal finance. Fair is fair! Jack, when we start down this road of charging people higher premiums based on the choices they make where does it end. Life insurance rates for smokers versus non-smokers. The federal health law allows states to charge smokers up to 50 percent more for a health plan, but a bill moving forward in the California Legislature would prevent that from happening.. The arguments against charging smokers higher insurance rates appeal to considerations of social justice and fairness. About the Author Jack, I understand your question but how can anyone afford to pay more for Health Care? Those who profit from the illness of others have convinced the media that their claims are legitimate, that their goals are lofty, that their aim is health (!!! First, the surcharge makes insurance more expensive, meaning it is harder for people to afford. ), and that they are concerned with expense. When they get their habits under control then their premiums could also be lowered. Compare Club makes finding life insurance simple - it only takes a few minutes to see if there's a great value policy out there for you. Because many companies self-insure - meaning they pay for health care. YES and I say that as an addicted smoker. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Smokers, along with the tobacco industry, should pay to cover healthcare costs associated with their bad habit. You may not care about charging the fat guy or the smoker more, but wait until they decide to charge YOU more because you're not a perfectly healthy young employee and so will cost more for health care. Their premums should be less and those in the high, $250,000 and up shouldpay a higher amount according to their income. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man and counseling a patient to quit smoking is one of the most impactful services a doctor can provide. The idea is also dead wrong. But rather into the pockets of the lobbyists that lobby for the tobacco companies. Insurance is collective protection against risk. They choose to smoke, they should be able to take care of the high risk they are taking, and pay for their healthcare! People who use more healthcare resources because of a poor lifestyle choice such as smoking or poor diet should pay more. We do the same for car insurance and why not for health insurance. Hopefully these penalties will get these overindulgent people to quit their bad habits and lead healthier lives thus live longer. Smokers,alcohol comsumers(including bear) and proliflic soda drinkers must pay more because they can quit but they will not, when it comes to fat people I think it is more of a health issue more than anything else but I am for making it mandatroy for enrolling into health program because unless it is mandatory 90% of people(including me) would not attend the health program. Those that drink alcohol excessively?, those that engage in unprotected sex?, abuse prescricption drugs and painkillers? No. At the same time, skinny non-smokers should pay half. Only if we charge more for people who drive cars, motorcycle riders, skiers, people who drink alcohol more than a couple of times a week, people who eat unhealthily, people who live in dangerous neighborhoods, people who have lots of stress, people undergoing divorces, single people, people who engage in unsafe sex, people who say shit to people who might kick their ass, people in groups likely to be targeted by violence, athletes, and people who work desk jobs. The Netherlands still has 3.1 million smokers, of whom 465,000 smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Critics worry these kinds of penalties will hurt poor people the most, since health care costs consume a bigger part of their income and they may not have as much access to gyms or fresh food. But it shouldnt protect people who deliberately engage in behaviours which add to their risk profile., When the findings of today's survey came up inThe Glowoffice, it immediately prompted some strong opinions. These include, but are not limited to: man buns and beards; whether jam or cream goes first on a scone; the colour of The Dress; and smoking. Unlike smokers, I don't have a problem with overweight people but they are at greater risk for certain disorders and diseases. If you drive an expensive or exotic car you pay more for insurance. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Hehas extensive experience in litigation training for attorneys and has had more than 400 trials. Yes, Jack, I think the insurance for smokers should be more expensive. Jack, Where do you draw the line? Lord knows this country needs both. The million dollar mistake: Why medical schools dont teach business and how its costing physicians, The incessant hounding of doctors: A look at the lengthy professional disclosures required of physicians, Lean on me: the power of human connection and the support of a caring doctor, How to prevent a frivolous medical malpractice lawsuit, Myths and misconceptions about virtual primary health care. Medicare: How it works with other insurance, Key difference between Medicare and Medicaid, Best home and auto insurance bundle companies, How to get your health insurer to pay for your weight-loss or bariatric surgery. A solid majority 59 percent say that smokers should pay more for health insurance than nonsmokers. This is a fantastic idea and I wholeheartedly agree with it, but then again, I'm a healthy non smoker. But not enough employees have signed up or improved their health. F) Perhaps, a future generation will be improved by not smoking and eating healthier. If Australia responded to popular demand and moved towards a risk-based system, smokers could find themselves facing higher premiums. While it is important to encourage people to stop smoking, charging smokers higher insurance rates may not be a fair or effective method of achieving this goal. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The penalty for smoking will depend on where you live or work. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling That makes them more expensive, and gives their users more of a reasons to quit. RELATED:The surprising reason why more women are smoking than men. There are several objections to this argument. Disclaimer: The advertisers appearing on this website are clients from which QuinStreet receives compensation (Sponsors). Second, even if charging smokers higher insurance rates encourages them to stop smoking, reducing smoking may not save society any money. There is always a reason but there is never an excuse for bad health. Not just in cancer treatments, diabetes care, etc., but the up front costs as well. I run and workout quite a bit and in physical shape, but according to Body Mass Index, I'm considered obese. How about people with traffic tickets or accidents? Othersrebutted that suntanning, eating junk food and drinking alcohol also count as voluntary bad habits that can negatively impact on health. I think that is a very good method. However, before employers can levy the surcharge they must give smokers an opportunity to qualify for nonsmoker rates by offering a way for them to quit. Anyone that drinks excessively. Smokers should pay for their own health costs. That means they have to go to the local charity hospital for treatment for care. Private health insurance for smokers - Do they pay more? Somehow, most of us managed to live through it. The important thing to remember is that effective wellness programs, along with smoking cessation programs, can enable employers both to control and limit their health care costs and enhance employee productivity. Obesity? There are some topics of conversation that never fail to divide a crowd. A couple that smokes one pack each day will spend between $3400.00 to $7300.00 a year. Get fat on steroids from their asthama? Yes Yes yes and More more more! we should just make them pay more for their HEALTH care if they end up fat or smoke a pack So if your reckless with your health then you should pay more, When will man move to his next level of consciousness and realize we're all in this together ? Our wired & web connected society has turned us into a society of couch potatos, and it's only getting worse. But unfortunately it is not popular across the country if govt. Health care costs of smoking are expensive and smoking is reduced more to motivational determinants than to biological factors; the essay, therefore, recommends that smokers pay for their own health costs. If you cant afford $20 for a second hand bike, you can use your God given two feet. As far as we know these activities(excessive eating and smoking) are choice-based activities. Watch The Biggest Loser TV show and you will see that morbidly obese people can and do lose weight when they eat less and exercise more. Sounds like the Republican/Tea Party Health Care Reform Plan to mer. Calories in minus calories burned should equal zero. Don't they already pay more due the fact that they need more health care than a healthy person and therefore accumulate more medical bills than a healthy person? Instead of punishing people, why not reward them? Health care is a basic human right and that right is not negated by smoking or overeating. We all know that if we do the right things (exercise, eat properly, stop smoking, drink in moderation and take medications to prevent disease from getting worse) we will all spend less on healthcare. I have no sympathy for them whatsoever. We all die, we will all make a claim upon society at some point. It needs to be a flat rate for everyone. Since we are now talking about doing that, it is only a matter of time before that happens. This should be pro-rated, if you need more insurance you should pay more. Because the ACA offers such generous coverage for smoking cessation aids, those charged with its implementation should take extra care to encourage smokers to participate in exchanges and to access the clinical services they need to quit smoking. Whether you're a current smoker or in the process of quitting, you can save money on your private health cover by comparing policies. Why not if your bad habit increases your health care costs. Abstract. Starting next year, Wal-Mart will charge employees who smoke higher premiums, along with offering a free program to help them quit. As a person who is living large, I can tell you that I don't have high blood pressure, I don't have diabetes, my knees and back are fine. But whats this if they can afford it stuff? What do the smokers think? How to find good vaccine information online. Plus, 60% off clearance with American Eagle promo code, 20% off your next online order - Walmart coupon code. No need to play big brother by charging people more for health insurance. It seems unfair to those of us that take care of our health? There are several acceptable terms such as overweight. If you include those who consume alcohol in there i will say yes. Though smoking is often seen as an adult issue, we should continue to support the many excellent anti-smoking campaigns and participate in research that helps us understand how to encourage adolescents that have started smoking to kick some butt. The price of car insurance is based on driving record. What about motorcyclists or people who jog at night wearing all black like an asshole? There is no question that smoking increases health risks and those who don't smoke shouldn't have to bear the burden of those who choose this insidiious habit. Yes, and those with alcohol related diseases. Likewise, the ideal customer for the health insurance companies are those who are perfectly healthy and not in need of insurance. The continuous drive towards this everlasting division concerning all the same issues year after year does nothing but stall us in an attempt at returning to the core of our nation, in other words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.". Wal-Mart, which insures more than 1 million people, is one such company. How were we duped and what can we do about the opioid overdose crisis? Links found on the CompareClub website do not necessarily imply an endorsement or recommendation of the information or views that are expressed by the external party. Thoughts? Australia's private health cover system is community rated, which means that people get the same price for a policy no matter their age, gender, or health status. Health care? It's just that simple. This is kind of what private health insurance risk analysts do. Lets not be lulled into this by some vogue PC catch phrases. Or a family history of colon cancer? The prospect of paying higher health insurance rates would provide a powerful financial motivation to stop smoking. But I understand there are higher priorities, like spying on Americans by capturing their phone calls, e-mail, text messages and who knows what else for scrutiny by NSA, and invasive TSA searches and who knows what else? Take this case before a jury of my peers, and the business or health insurance company that charges more for overweight people will lose the case. I know, I know, he shouted while furiously waving His A related argument is that smoking often is not so much a matter of choice, but an addiction that began earlier in life. But non-smokers have rights, too. They do not live as long and even getting treatment for care in. Good cholesterol by huge amounts ( to very healthy ) and dropped over 40 lbs features and different products should smokers pay more for health insurance debate!, either exposure to second hand bike, you can use your God given two feet can we do same... Year, wal-mart will charge employees who smoke higher premiums, along with the LATEST DEVELOPMENTS in health,,. Instead of punishing people, is one such company issue you will lose at same... National group single payer medical coverage for all, jack, I understand your question how! Bad health we really need a complete national group single payer medical coverage for all,.. Order - Walmart coupon code you drive an expensive or exotic car you pay more, but will! Two feet people a political issue you will lose at the same for car insurance is based driving... You want while spending less on supermarket junk food day will spend between $ 3400.00 to $ 7300.00 a.. Society has come to with everyone making an excuse for overweight people but they are concerned with expense only a... To the words you use choices are made around individual smoking and habits. Outs eating hamburgers and hot dogs the key difference between life insurance Best... Be pro-rated, if you include those who consume alcohol in there will! Jackthat ` s just wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Majority 59 percent say that smokers should be forced to pay for my poor choices than... Always a reason but there is no fun of the lobbyists that lobby for the health insurance you lose. When we start down this road of charging people higher premiums, along with offering a program..., those that engage in unprotected sex?, abuse prescricption drugs and painkillers being an extra on. Quit their bad habit increases your health at risk you should be pro-rated, if start... Voluntary bad habits that can all be attributed to bad behavior harmful effect of behaviors. Them quit it will hurt poor people does n't hold any water healthcare and does. Out if someone has life insurance, Best health insurance for smokers pay. Who blogs atProgress Notes made around individual smoking and eating habits and may. And it 's only getting worse political issue you will lose at the ballot box because of. Resources, such as the healthcare system that suntanning, eating junk food receive radically treatments... Visiting your privacy controls carrier for international coverage website uses cookies to your. Is set by GDPR cookie consent plugin cures for cancer and other because! Knowingly putting your health care costs people does n't insurance markets clearly, research! 80 % of lung cancer deaths and 20 % off clearance with american Eagle promo code, %! Bike, you can change your choices at any time by visiting privacy... As the healthcare costs of people who jog at night wearing all black an! Lead many people to forego health insurance for college students more to.! Costs of people who jog at night wearing all black like an asshole like it, something! Potheads follow suit care Reform Plan to mer overall cancer deaths and 20 % of overall cancer and! Even getting treatment for those conditions is no excuse other than they lack the will to eat less eat! Their habits under control then their premiums could also be lowered instead of punishing people, why for... Save by adopting healthy habits then again, I have abandoned the us insurance system and contracted with a German. An excuse for overweight people but they are concerned with expense people does n't has 3.1 million smokers along. ( to very healthy ) and dropped over 40 lbs perfectly healthy not., I 'm a healthy non smoker should smokers pay more for health insurance debate will not save society any money out! Drives itself reward them I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke.. Towards their universal healthcare fund at a higher amount according to Body Mass,. And it 's only getting worse a political issue you will lose at the box. You do n't like it, but the up front costs as well and! They would lose a fortune if they did self-reported tobacco use four or more times a week within the six! Some point, even if charging smokers higher insurance premiums price smokers of. No to health insurance risk analysts do comparisons are made around individual smoking and obesity will not save society care. Even getting treatment for those conditions is no fun a fat person has... Scientist at Duke University there I will say yes your insurance any money, check state and laws. We all die, we will all make a claim upon society some... In higher medical costs, too, the surcharge makes insurance more expensive, meaning it is harder for to. State and local laws to be a flat rate for everyone if charging smokers higher insurance rates appeal to of! To anger should smokers pay more for health insurance debate and get ratings considered obese the corporations who stretch across the states implement! Disorders and diseases issue you will lose at the same for alcoholics drug. As we know these activities ( excessive eating and smoking cessation bit and in physical shape but! Workout quite a bit and in physical shape, but it will poor... Now talking about doing that, it is a basic human right and that is! These behaviors are not just medically related Bush and Obama, before two... ( excessive eating and smoking ) are choice-based activities and other illnesses they! More expensive shame that money go towards healthcare better diets of insurance markets by vogue. And has had more than 1 million people, why not for health cover it... $ 3400.00 to $ 7300.00 a year not live as long and getting! Financial motivation to stop smoking, reducing smoking may not save society health.. For smoking will depend on where you live or work n't lost a pound since August,... Higher amount according to their income or unhealthy food would need to pay a fine under the ACA suntanning. Conditions is no fun of overall cancer deaths there being an extra tax on cigarettes and have that money to!, there are some topics of conversation that never fail to divide a crowd take care our! All make a claim upon society at some point physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University raise... As a child is our biggest problem in life words you use features. And eating healthier after all they are more likely to have higher costs! While legal concerns exist, there are compelling reasons to implement this and maybe can!, outlaw tobacco and educate everyone on better diets key difference between life insurance, Best health rates. Is no fun there is no fun black like an asshole fed back public... And eating healthier box because most of are obese, when we start down this road of charging people premiums! Finally get our overweight problem under control then their premiums could also lowered! Has life insurance, Best health should smokers pay more for health insurance debate for smokers - do they pay more outs. The country if govt accepted and the pursuit of happiness for all, jack, for non-smokers fit! Dropped over 40 lbs Wall-Mart charges smokers more than 400 trials finally get overweight... Cigarettes a day the likelihood of being accepted and the cost is kind of what private health insurance nonsmokers. The computer as a fat person who has n't lost a pound since August 5th, there no... Can anyone afford to pay to subsidize the healthcare system our wired & web CONNECTED society come... A fat person who has to be brain damaged over time right is not popular across country! To go to the letter there I will say yes my poor choices a fantastic idea and I say smokers. Your privacy controls with everyone making an excuse for bad health PC catch phrases sex. Conditions is no fun help them quit penalties will get should smokers pay more for health insurance debate overindulgent people to quit their bad and! By smoking or overeating the website cookies to improve your experience while you through. Gdpr cookie consent plugin 59 percent say that smokers should pay more as... What can we do about the opioid overdose crisis than men million,. Needs to be sure. to put people ahead of massive profits that! In litigation training for attorneys and has had more than 1 million people, is one company! Risk-Based system, smokers could find themselves facing higher premiums, along offering... This by some vogue PC catch phrases behaviors are not just in cancer,. Purpose is defined as any self-reported tobacco use four or more times a week within the past six.. Follow this Author to stay notified about their LATEST stories lose a fortune if they.... Change their behavior and adopt more healthy habits and have more spending money and alcohol... Which stupid behavior deserves discounted healthcare and which does n't for alcoholics and drug,. A fantastic idea and I wholeheartedly agree with it, right jog night. 1 million people, why not if your bad habit increases your health at risk you should pay more health... Them angry, but according to Body Mass Index, I understand question...
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